Consumer expectations for their online and mobile experiences are constantly changing and evolving, causing brands to constantly re-evaluate the types of experiences they deliver. In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, mobile experiences have never been more important. 52% of consumers say a bad mobile experience makes them less likely to engage with a company. This increases the responsibilities of the web application development company providing these development services.

For years, mobile apps have dominated the conversation around mobile experiences - but that's all about to change. Today and in the future, innovations in web apps are delivering native-like user experiences, positioning web apps to dominate the future app landscape.

This guide will provide an introduction to web app development, including the main types of web applications and a high-level look at the development process. Finally, the guide will show why brands like Netflix, Twitter, and Google continue to prioritize web application development.

What is a web application?

Web apps are apps that are accessed on an Internet browser used on any Internet-enabled device, including smartphones, laptops, tablets, or desktop computers.

Features of web apps include:

Requires a browser (Chrome, Safari, Edge, Firefox, etc.)

Internet connection is required.

No separate download required.

There is no space requirement on the device.

Updates can be made without sending a notification to users.

Backing up is easy.

Low cost of development

Google Docs is a web app. There is also Trello. The list goes on with Slack, Skype, Netflix, Google Analytics and every household brand. While it's true that native mobile apps offer an unparalleled user experience - for now –

Web App vs Website

How is a web app different from a regular website?

The website provides static information and basic navigation elements such as menus or basic forms for obtaining information. Every user sees the same information.

To make a change, the developer updates the HTML or CSS.

A web app is dynamic, changing the display based on user inputs or actions such as placing an order, logging in, downloading a document, making a payment, or filtering search results. Responsive web apps adapt to the screen size and the device being used.

To make the change, the web app must be recompiled before deployment. In addition to HTML and CSS, a web app may include PHP, JavaScript, Ruby, or Python and various frameworks such as Rails or Django.

Web Apps vs Mobile Apps

A mobile app and a web app may look similar, but they are very different in design, development and user experience.

Mobile apps are downloaded and installed on a mobile device. They have to be designed for a specific platform – either Android, iOS, or cross-platform. When a user downloads them to their device, the apps can access system resources on that device. For example, if you download a photo editing app, you need to give it access to phone galleries or cameras to do anything with it.

Currently, local mobile apps take advantage of local features and device capabilities (GPS, camera, location), and location, interests,

What is Web Application Development?

Web app development is the process of creating a web app that runs on a web server (server-side programming) and interacts with a browser (client-side programming). The process of developing web apps is often aided by the use of web application frameworks.

Types of Web Applications

While there are broad differences between websites, web apps, and mobile apps, it is possible to further differentiate web apps based on their functionality and flexibility.

1. Static web applications

Static web apps feature pre-rendered, cached content that is delivered to the user's browser with little or no interaction or personalization. If there are changes to the page.

2. Dynamic web applications

Dynamic web apps use server-side and client-side processing to generate code in real-time, making it possible to change the page's display every time a refresh or new input is added.

All other web apps are subtypes of dynamic web apps.

Dynamic Web Applications | Web Application Development Guide

Single page applications

A single-page application continuously interacts with the user by dynamically rewriting the current page instead of loading entire new pages from the server.

Progressive Web Apps

A Progressive Web App (PWA) is a website that looks and behaves like a mobile app. Both mobile app development and web development methods come into play when building a progressive web app.

PWAs are progressive (work universally), responsive (optimized across devices), discoverable, connectivity-independent (offline via caching), app-like, secure, linkable/shareable, support push. Notifications and - the gem differentiator - can be added as icons. In the app drawer. Thus, a PWA looks and functions exactly like a mobile app - but does not need to be listed in an APP store or installed on a user's device.